


Carwheeler Prompt One-Shots

by ireallydowritelikeimrunningoutoftime



Category: The Greatest Showman (2017)
Genre: Awkward Flirting, Bars and Pubs, Canon Compliant, Drunk Phillip Carlyle, F/M, First Kiss, Flirting, Fluff, Hospitals, I Can't Think of A Better Title, I Will Go Down With This Ship, I just realized from the tags that it's Phillip not Philip, I'm Bad At Summaries, I'm Bad At Tagging, I'm Bad At Titles, Insecure Phillip Carlyle, Kissing, Light Angst, Love, Marriage Proposal, Missing Scenes, One Shot Collection, Period-Typical Racism, Racism, Random & Short, Romance, Short & Sweet, Teasing, Tumblr, Tumblr Prompts, Wordcount: 100-500, Young Love, but I don't want to go back and change it so it's gonna be Philip, carwheeler - Freeform, prompts, short one shots
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-07
Updated: 2020-06-08
Packaged: 2021-03-04 04:20:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 2,081
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24597397
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ireallydowritelikeimrunningoutoftime/pseuds/ireallydowritelikeimrunningoutoftime
Summary: Just some prompts I saw on Tumblr that I thought could be applied to Carwheeler (Written out of order, but I arranged them in what would be chronological order if it was one fic)
Relationships: Phillip Carlyle/Anne Wheeler
Kudos: 29





	1. "Someone's in love"

She flew across the air, lifting her arms as she approached the balcony. It was only when she was face to face with him that she realized there was someone standing on it.

Time seemed to freeze as she swung up towards him in a graceful arc. Their eyes met for a brief moment, and they stared at each other, equally captivated, before she swung away, lifting the enchantment. Philip was left gazing after her, spellbound; he had forgotten P.T. was standing next to him. 'Who's that?" he breathed, ignoring P.T.'s amused chuckle.

"Someone's in love."

"Barnum!"

"Come, you should meet them," he told Philip, pulling him towards the staircase.

"Them?"

"W.D.! Anne!" he called, evidently about to answer Philip's question. "I want to introduce you to my newest client, Mr. Philip Carlyle!" Philip tried not to stare at Anne as the pair surveyed him appraisingly. He assumed they were siblings.

"Pleasure to meet you," W.D. told him, shaking his hand. Philip nodded politely, still in a daze. He turned to Anne, who smiled charmingly at him. His heart fluttered.

"And what is your act, Mr. Carlyle?" He wasn't prepared for the question.

"Oh-" Philip stammered, cursing himself for his incompetence, "I- I don't have an act." He was somewhat aware of W.D. and P.T.'s stares as he shifted awkwardly. Anne chuckled.

"Everyone's got an act." With that, she gave him one last glance and walked away, Philip's eyes trailing behind her. He silently shook his head at himself. Five minutes into his apprenticeship with Barnum, and he'd already managed to fall in love.

That night, he dreamed of pink hair and purple leotards.


	2. "I think I'm in love with you"

They had just finished the show for the day, and Anne was heading out when she heard someone running behind her. Alarmed, she spun around, only to find herself face to face with none other than Philip Carlyle. He was a blushing mess, unlike the Philip that Anne knew from rehearsals, who was always so calm and collected. "Do you need something, Mr. Carlyle?" she asked, dragging out her drawl.

"Uh," he stammered, "um, no, I don't. It's just-"

"Yes?"

"I- I think I'm in love with you," he blurted out, before clapping his hand over his mouth, looking mortified. Anne burst out into laughter. It was hard to decide what she found funnier; the look on Philip's face, or the statement itself. Philip fidgeted nervously, and couldn't help but admire her laugh, musical peals of laughter that brightened his mood considerably. Getting ahold of herself, she surveyed him, taking in his hopeful, slightly bashful expression, her laughter abruptly stopping.

"Oh, you're serious?"


	3. "I was a fool for letting you go"

Philip rushed outside as soon as his parents left. "Anne!" he cried out. He whirled around, craning his neck as he searched for her. "Anne!" Then he saw her, huddled in the corner of the street. She stared into the distance, her eyes blank. As Philip approached her, her eyes darkened, and she quickly began to walk away, taking brisk steps. "Anne," he pleaded, catching up to her, "please listen to me." He didn't receive a reply. He caught her arm, desperate to apologize. "I'm sorry, Anne, I was a fool for letting you go."

"Yes, you were," she surprised him by answering, twisting her arm out of his grip. "Not that I expected any different. I suppose you're just like the rest of them."

"No," Philip argued, aware of how pathetic he must sound to her. "I swear, I would never use you for my advantage. You may not believe me, but I love you, and I was a fool for letting my parents blind me in that moment." She didn't state her forgiveness, but gave him a curt, sharp, nod, at the very least acknowledging his words. Part of her did believe him, despite everything she'd been warned against her entire life. It dawned upon her as she watched him walk away, head hung down in shame, that she loved him. Philip. Oh, God, she loved him. Anne groaned and dropped her head in her hands. Philip Carlyle was going to be the death of her, that was for certain.


	4. "I got you"

"Hey, Anne?" Anne turned around to see Charles behind her. "Anne, you might want to stop by the bar after rehearsal."

"What is it?" she asked, brow furrowed. "Don't tell me-"

"It's Philip," he confirmed. "Look, I don't know what happened yesterday at Jenny Lind's concert, but Barnum saw him, says he's drunk as a skunk. He won't budge, either. You're the only one who can get through to him when he's like this, and we think he might drink himself to death if you don't." Anne groaned, running a hand over her face. This had happened before, but after last night, she was certain this time would be even worse than the last two.

"Great," she muttered. "I'm coming, Carlyle." Why was it that the people you tried to avoid always managed to prevent it?

She pushed open the door to the bar, bracing herself for the worst. There he was, out cold, slumped on the counter, a dozen glasses scattered around him. The bartender was nowhere to be found. Anne sighed and made her way over to him. "Carlyle, what have you gotten yourself into?" She had to admit, he did look sort of cute like this. She tried to haul him up by his arms, grunting as she staggered under his weight. "Yeah, this is not gonna work." Philip stirred a little, groaning as he slowly regained his senses.

"Anne? Wa's goin' on?" he slurred, struggling to sit up. Anne quickly steadied him, shaking her head.

"I got you. C'mon, Carlyle, let's get you home."


	5. "I want this to feel like forever"

The first time they kissed, a fire was ignited in their hearts, one that couldn't be extinguished by any amount of jeers or scoffs or scorn. When they finally pulled away, most of the doctors and nurses had gathered around Philip's bed; some were trying to hide their amazement, while others wore furious expressions, and many were openly gaping at the unthinkable scene they were witnessing. None of that mattered to the two lovers beaming at each other, promising to never let go. Anne smiled through her tears, shaking her head at Philip.

"Never do that to me again, Carlyle."

"I'll try to avoid running into fires for you, Miss Wheeler, though the temptation may be hard to resist." Anne as too happy to snap back with a retort. She reached out to touch Philip's cheek, and he closed his eyes, relaxing under her touch. "Anne?"

"Hmm?"

"I want to feel like this forever."

"Then let's make this moment last forever." She leaned in to kiss him again, and he hummed contently.


	6. "Can I kiss you?"

As Philip shook Barnum's hand, everyone around them burst into applause. Anne beamed, hugging her brother, W.D., who was wearing a similar expression, despite his usually serious demeanor. As the circus troop shuffled off to celebrate, W.D. looked expectantly at Anne, who hadn't moved. "Go on," she told him, "I'll catch up." He nodded, shooting a wary glance at Philip, who was also lingering. Even though Philip had earned his trust and respect by risking his life to save Anne, as her brother, W.D. couldn't help but feel cautious towards him. "I'll be fine," she assured him as he followed Lettie and Constantine to the bar. She turned to Philip, who was shuffling his feet, smiling at her. Anne had always found his bashfulness adorable.

"That was really noble, what you did," she told him admiringly. He blushed, unable to stop grinning.

"Thanks, but it really wasn't all that noble, it was for me just as much as all of you. This is my home, and you matter to me more than any riches in the world."

"I love you, Philip Carlyle, and don't you ever forget that."

"I love you, Anne Wheeler." He paused, raising his eyebrow at her, eyes dancing.

"What?" she laughed.

"Can I kiss you?"

"It would be my pleasure, Mr. Carlyle." Their lips locked, and all thoughts of anything besides each other was forgotten. That is, until Charles, who snuck away and had been leaning against a wall nearby, let out a whistle.

"Guys, you have to see this! The lovebirds are making out!"

"WHAT?" came W.D.'s shout. Anne sighed.

"Can't get a second of privacy around here," she grumbled.

"Come on, drinks are on me."

"Just don't get Barnum too drunk."

"I wouldn't dream of it." Philip smirked, the look on his face saying otherwise.


	7. "Ignore them, they don't know you like I do"

As Philip dipped Anne and leaned in to kiss her, the tent was filled with boos and hisses. It had been a spontaneous decision, to show Anne that he was no longer afraid, that he was ready to proclaim his love of her to the world and put their relationship on display for everyone to see if she was willing. They ignored the noises of disbelief, repulse, and even horror from the crowd as everyone gathered around them, striking various poses as the performance came to an end. There was scattered applause, but the audience was mostly silent, many of them still digesting Philip's bold move. As they walked away, shouts followed them, cries of "Freak!" and "Disgraceful!" and "Disgusting!" They made Anne's blood boil and Philip's fists clench, but they held their heads high and vowed not to let it affect them. As they stepped outside, multiple men tried to lunge at Anne, and in a flash Philip was standing in between her and them.

"You filthy little freak," someone hissed behind them. "Running around with that pretty boy, sleeping with him like a slut-" Philip whipped his head around, eyes ablaze with fury, about to snap back when Anne took his hand.

"It's fine," she muttered, "just drop it, I've been called far worse. They want your rage, don't give them that satisfaction." He swallowed, trying to push down his anger as Anne dragged him away. Upon closer inspection, he saw she had tears in her eyes.

"Ignore them," he told her, "they don't know you like I do. They don't know anything about you."

"I know." Anne steadied herself, taking a few deep breaths.

"I'm sorry for doing that, I should have asked you first."

"It was worth it." She smiled, pushing back her curls. "Every second of it."


	8. "From the moment I saw you, I knew I was in love"

They watched the sunset together from the top of a hill above a small meadow, just a few miles away from the circus tent. P.T. had suggested the location, for in his words, "What's more romantic than watching the sunset hand in hand?" And Philip had needed something romantic, something to lead up to the big moment when he would ask Anne.

"Anne?" he asked, clearing his throat awkwardly. He took a deep breath, and faced her. She raised his eyebrow at him playfully, eyes alight with curiosity and joy. _She's so beautiful, _Philip thought in a daze. For a moment, he lost his concentration, before gathering himself again. "Anne, you're the best thing that's ever happened to me. I remember the first time we met; from the moment I saw you, I knew I was in love. My heart will forever be yours, and I know you're the only person I want to spend eternity with, since my love for you is undying." He pulled out a small box as Anne watched, hands held over her mouth, to reveal a beautiful ring with a diamond in the center. His eyes were full of tears as he asked the question. "Will you make me the happiest man in the world and take me as your husband?"__

____

____

"Yes, yes, a million time over," Anne gasped, tears spilling down her cheeks. She held out her hand, and he slid the ring onto her finger. They beamed at each other, leaning in at the same time just as the last of the sun disappeared, making way for the stars to envelope the night sky. Anne's eyes reflected the stars and the light from the moon as she laughed. "Well, I suppose this is the end of an era!" Philip shook his head, smiling fondly at her.

"The story of our love is just beginning," he whispered, tucking one of her loose curls behind her ear.

"And I can't wait to write it with you." She kissed him again. Neither of them could have imagined a more perfect moment.


End file.
